Good morning. It’s Thursday September 28, 2017 and this is your your first early morning Digital briefing!

TODAY’S CODEBREAKER

Redirected Walking (Virtual Reality): Redirected walking is a technique that’s used to expand the size of a virtual reality world by imperceptibly rotating or reorienting the virtual environment. Users will unknowingly compensate for changes to the scene by repositioning themselves.

JUST IN…

Amazon unveiled some new gadgets. The second-generation Echo, now on sale, costs $99. (Consumers can also choose to buy a three-pack of Echoes for $249.) The new Echo is smaller than the original, and comes with a gray fabric exterior. Amazon also rolled out the Echo Plus, a $150 device that includes a smart home hub that can interact with devices such as internet connected light bulbs. There’s also the Echo Spot, a $130 device that comes equipped with a circular screen. One other nifty new update to the Echo: Amazon is introducing multi-room audio, enabling users who have more than one Echo device to play synchronized music in multiple rooms. Finally, in addition to the new Echo devices, Amazon introduced a new $70 version of its Fire TV streaming box. The new Fire TV supports HDR and 4K video streaming, as well as Dolby Atmos surround sound.

ADVERTISING

WPP’s GroupM has launched Finecast, a new business that will build and sell addressable TV advertising products. Finecast will cater to agencies and advertisers. It will also partner with media companies to develop and deploy new addressable TV products, including measurement tools. The unit is now active in the U.K.; Jakob Nielsen, previously the managing director of GroupM Digital in the U.K., is Finecast’s inaugural CEO.

It’s no secret that Google uses its data to target display ads toward specific users. But the company also lets users report ads they don’t want to see again, selecting from choices such as “Ad was inappropriate,” “Seen this ad multiple times,” “Not interested in this ad,” and “Ad covered content.” As a Reddit user just noticed, a new option has now been added: “Ad knew too much.” It’s a sign that the ever-increasing personalization of digital ad targeting can make some users uncomfortable. Though interestingly enough, some Redditors suspect ulterior motives. They point out that, by selecting the “knew too much” option, users are unwittingly providing Google with a valuable service: They’re letting the company know when its data is on point.

A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE

Registration is now open!

The 5th Annual Cynopsis Digital Awards Luncheon

November 10 | Tribeca’s ThreeSixty, NYC | 12pm – 2pm

Cynopsis Digital will bring together this year’s finalists and industry peers to honor their excellence in online video content, advertising, and talent. It’s a terrific opportunity to mingle and share insights with digital media’s movers and shakers. Take a peek at the finalists and honorees here and register your team!

Hulu will soon be the exclusive SVOD home to 30 Rock, the Tina Fey-helmed sitcom that ran between 2006 and 2013. Hulu’s rights to the series come via a new deal with NBCUniversal Television and New Media Distribution. (NBCU is a part-owner of Hulu.) All episodes of the series hit Hulu on October 1. As part of the NBC deal, Hulu also landed the rights to four other shows: Parenthood, the reality shows Made in Chelsea and Face Off, and There’s…Johnny! About that last one: There’s…Johnny!, a period comedy created by Mad About You star Paul Reiser, had originally been slated for Seeso, NBCU’s comedy-oriented SVOD service. The series had to find another home when, last month, Seeso announced that it would soon shut down.

OTT + SVOD

Sports-centric OTT TV service fuboTV announced a multi-year agreement with MSG Networks. The deal will make fuboTV the first live-streaming TV service to feature MSG’s regional sports nets, MSG and MSG+. Fubo says the networks will be available “in the coming days” to subscribers of Fubo Premiere, the service’s base package of over 65 channels.

PROGRAMMING

Netflix has started production on Busted!, its first South Korean variety show. Netflix is calling the series “an unconventional variety game show in which every episode features stars solving a mystery.” It’s not Netflix’s first project in South Korea; among other Korean projects, the service has already announced production of the upcoming series Kingdom, a Korean zombie thriller.

VC FUNDING + INVESTORS

Playbuzz, a content startup that distributes branded content and develops tools for the creation of interactive media, just raised $35 million in a new Series C funding round. Viola Growth led the round, while a number of existing investors participated. Returning investors included Saban Ventures, Carmel Ventures, Firstime, Oded Vardi, 83North, and, most notably, Disney. (Disney participated in Playbuzz’s March 2016 funding round, which raised $15 million.) Playbuzz says it will use the new funding to expand its branded content efforts.

CYNOPSIS DIGITAL AWARDS

The stage is set for the 5th Annual Cynopsis Digital Awards. Join us as we celebrate the newest additions to the Cynopsis Digital “It List” and honor the winners of our Model D Awards. This year’s event will take place on November 10 at NYC’s Tribeca 360 from 12 pm to 2 pm. Guest presenters include comedian Randy Rainbow and actor and activist Oliver Trevena. Register by 10/31!

EXECUTIVE MOVES

Twitch, the live-streaming specialist owned by Amazon, has named a new GM of Global Content Development and Emerging Markets. The role goes to Kendra Johnson, who most recently served as Head of Distribution and Strategic Partnerships at Disney’s Maker Studios. At Twitch, Johnson will oversee global content acquisition efforts, and will work to drive business in the Asia-Pacific and Latin America regions. She’ll also oversee Twitch’s regional content development teams. Johnson reports to John Howell, Twitch’s VP of Global Partnerships.

David Lopez has joined CondéNast Entertainment, Conde Nast’s digital video arm. He’ll serve as VP of Branded Content Video, a newly created role. Lopez most recently served as Head of Global Business and Brand Content Partnerships Development at Vice Media. In his new positions, he’ll manage production and oversee creative for CNE’s branded content programming. He’ll report to Croi McNamara, CNE’s SVP of Programming for digital video.

FoxNext, the Fox Networks/20th Century Fox division focused on next-gen media like virtual reality and video games, has made a new hire. Marc Zachary will serve as SVP of Business Development for FoxNext Destinations. He’ll be tasked with building partnerships and business deals relating to theme parks and location-based entertainment. Zachary most recently served as VP of Business Development and Operations for Disney Consumer Products and Interactive. He’ll now join a media entity that’s barely out of infancy; FoxNext launched at the beginning of this year.

MEASURING UP…

Tubular Top Ten Global Sponsored Videos Monday, September 18, 2017 – Sunday, September 24, 2017. Based on Tubular Video Ratings measuring 8 million video publishers, 3 billion videos, and 400 million viewers. Sponsored videos are ranked by V3, total views in the first three days after upload.

SHAREABLEE SOCIAL TV RATINGS: Top 10 U.S. Primetime and Streaming Shows for September 18 – September 24. Based on Shareablee’s Video Power Index (VPI), which combines viewing, consumer interactions and audience scale across all active platforms, and includes the video performance of primetime and streaming shows.

Source: Shareablee Inc. The total actions metric includes the total volume of post-level likes, shares, favorites, retweets and comments across social platforms.

– Viewers were laughing hard during the season 19 finale of Big Brother on CBS, with many finding it funny that once again housemate Paul came in second place (he had previously been the runner-up on BB18).

– Fans were weeping during the series finale of MTV’s hit show Teen Wolf, with many lamenting a future without their favorite characters and storylines.

– Viewers were truly excited for the return of tear-jerking NBC drama This Is Us, with some even going as far as to say they were ready (and even eager!) to cry.

TRIVIA

The documentary film Long Strange Trip, which made its Amazon Video debut in June, focuses on which rock band? (Email trivia@cynopsis.comwith your answer and be sure to include your name, company, city and state.)

In Cynopsis’ newest live online event, we’re examining the major shift in both what’s being watched and where with this demo that represents 18% of the country’s population. With buying power topping $1.5 trillion in 2017, it is critical for media industry players to craft programming that reaches this growing and influential group. Check out our expert panel here!

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